Strasbourg (AFP)

Gérald Darmanin on Monday accused the EELV mayor of Strasbourg Jeanne Barseghian of subsidizing "a mosque supported by a federation which defends political Islam", criticisms rejected by the elected ecologists who said to have "never been alerted to this project" .

"The green city hall of Strasbourg finances a mosque supported by a federation" of Turkish origin "which refused to sign the charter of principles of Islam of France and which defends a political Islam", tweeted on Monday night at Tuesday M. Darmanin.

"Strongly that everyone open their eyes and that the separatism law will soon be voted and promulgated", he added, before raising his tone again at the end of the morning by announcing to have asked the prefect of Bas-Rhin Josiane Chevalier to refer this deliberation to administrative justice.

Mr. Darmanin reacted to the adoption Monday by the Strasbourg city council, after a lively debate, of the "principle of a subsidy" of more than 2.5 million euros for the construction of the Eyyub Sultan mosque , carried by the Islamic Confederation Millî Görüs (CIMG).

- "Old project" -

The site was initiated in 2017 and stopped for a while for lack of money, and the CIMG requested a subsidy from the municipality a few months ago.

Member of the French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM), this association had refused with other federations of the CFCM to sign in January the "Charter of principles for Islam in France", a text promoted by Emmanuel Macron in his fight against separatism and which reaffirms the "compatibility" of the Muslim faith with the Republic.

"This mosque project (...) is an old project, it does not date from my term of office" but "about ten years", said the environmentalist mayor, elected in the last municipal elections.

Ms. Barseghian also insisted on the fact that the text adopted on Monday (42 votes in favor, 7 against) stipulated that the actual payment of the subsidy, which will be the subject of a second vote, was conditional on the presentation of a " financing plan "clear.

If the guarantees are not provided, the payment of the subsidy will not be voted, assured at the same press point Jean Werlen, elected Strasbourg in charge of worship.

"We are waiting for a consolidated financing plan, especially in relation to the request made to other communities, to know what is the source of other types of financing", as well as a "reaffirmation of the values ​​of the Republic", insisted Ms. Barseghian .

Millî Görüs will seek help from the European Collectivity of Alsace and the Grand Est Region "up to 8% each", in the wake of the Great Mosque of Strasbourg inaugurated in 2012, recalls the regional daily The Latest News from 'Alsace (DNA).

In Alsace-Moselle, Church and State are not separated because of the concordance regime and the communities participate in the financing of places of worship.

The subsidy that could be paid to it by the Strasbourg town hall represents 10% of the cost of the work, a usual percentage for the subsidization of places of worship, all faiths combined, in the Alsatian capital.

- "Amalgam" -

If Mr. Darmanin "has things and elements to pass on to us" on Millî Görüs, "let him do it", added the elected ecologist.

"Before the tweet published this morning by the Minister of the Interior, the State had so far not formulated any contraindication on this project or any alert concerning the carriers," she said.

"If this association was an avatar of the Turkish state, do you really believe that it needs" this grant ?, asked Mr. Werlen.

"Mr. Darmanin amalgamates, it is really regrettable", reacted to AFP Fatih Sarikir, secretary general of the CIMG.

"We are for a charter that comes directly from mosques, federations, and that it is then concluded by the CFCM", not for a text prepared "by one or two or three people", said Eyup Sahin for his part, regional delegate of the Confederation.

"If we have to sign a charter, it will be a charter on which we have all worked together," he added.

sm-maj-apz-dsa / bdx / or

© 2021 AFP